Insulated rail-joint.



B. WOLHAUPTER. INSULATED RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. 1915.

B. WOLHAUPTER. INSULATED RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 16. 1915.

Patented Aug. 29,1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

B. WOLHAUPTEH. INSULATED RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILED/JUNE l6. I915.

Patentd Aug. 29, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3- B. WOLHAUPTER. INSULATED RAIL JOINT. APPLICATION FILEDJUNE I6. 1915.

mama Aug. 29,1916.

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BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER,

OF NEW ROCHELLE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE RAIL JOINT COMPANY, OF NEWYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INSULATED RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN WVoLnAUrrun, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at New Rochelle, in the county of VVestchester andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inInsulated Rail-Joints, of which the following is a specification. I

This invention relates to that type of insulated rail joints wherein theinsulating material is held between the joint bar and the under side ofthe rail head, and has primarily in view a novel form and arrangement ofa metal chafing guard which relieves this insulation from theprogressive destructive action to which it is ordinarily subjected bythe load pressures.

To this end, the invention contemplates the employment of a metalchafing guard in such a manner that the same is permitted to have anindependent lateraland longitudinal movement on the head of the jointbar, thereby adapting itself to the various relative movements of therail and joint bar. At the same time it has no movement on the underside of the rail head insulation and consequently serves to effectivelyrelieve the rail head insulation from destructive actions.

The essential feature of the invention, involved in the use of a metalcap plate for the head of the joint bar, beneath the rail headinsulation, so that the said plate may have the independent movementsreferred to, is susceptible of a variety of modifications, and ofapplication to various'types of rail joints, without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention, but certain preferred and practicalembodiments of the latter are shown in the accompanying drawings, inwhich Figure 1 is a cross sectional view partly in the plane of one ofthe bolts, and partly at one side of the same. bolt, illustrating aprimary form of the invention in its application to an angle bar type ofrail joint. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same structure, on asection through the bolt, on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1, to expose themounting of the metal chafing guard, and its relation to the boltfixtures. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2illustrating a form of retaining or check means that may be utilized toassist in preventing outward the effects of E displacement of the metalchafing guard. Flg. 4 1s a view similar to Fig. 1 illustrating amodification, wherein another form of retalnlng or check means iscombined with the metal chafing guard to prevent its displacement. Fig.5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 on the line of section 5-5 of Fig. 4. Fig.6 s a sectional view similar to Figs. 1 and 4 lllustrating another formof retaining means for the metal chafing guard which preventsdisplacement thereof, while at the same time not interfering with thethree required independent movements thereof. Fig. 7 is a side elevationof the structure shown in Fig. 6 with two of the bolts in section online 7-7 of said figure. Fig. 8 is a side elevation the same as that ofFig. 7, but illustrating a modification in the form of the metal chafingguard as well as in the manner of retaining it in place, withoutinterference with the independent movements thereof at the important orcritical places of the joint. Fig. 9 is-a detail perspective view of theform of chafing guard shown in Fig. 8, and also illustrating the featureof a roughened upper side for the plate which is applicable to allforms.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughoutthe several figures of the drawings.

The improved form of metal chafing guard is designated in its entiretyby the reference letter G, and is intended to be applicable to any typeof insulated rail joint, involving any form of joint or splice bar,where it is desirable to protect the head section of insulation from thedestructive effects of the wheel loads. A conventional type of insulatedrail jointwill serve for purposes of illustration. Accordingly, there isshown in the drawings an angle bar type of rail joint including therails 1, the opposite joint bars 2, the joint bolts 3, and properlyarranged insulating material. This insulating material, in the form ofconstruction shown, includes an insulation head piece 4.- fittingagainst the under side of the rail head and bolt insulation, the latteressentially comprising insulating bushings or sleeves exthe bolts andbacked up by the metal wash- I ers or-straps 7 interposed between thewasher'sG-and the heads and nuts of the bolts, as shown. j

The distinctive feature of the invention resides'in the form'of themetal chafing guard employed, and in the manner of mounting this mentswith "respect'to'the joint bar. As to its form, the said metal chafingguard essentially consists of an angle plate having an outer dependingweb member 8, and an upper inwardly extending cap flange 9, said capflange having a smooth surface on the under side and a rough surface onthe upper side. The web member 8 is arranged over and disposed at theouter side of the joint bar while the cap flange 9 is deflected inwardlyfrom the upper edge of the web member and fits over and upon the upperface of the head of the bar between such face and the under side of therail head insulation 4. Thus, guard is a cap plate which caps or fitsover the head of the bar and serves as achafing member which adaptsitself to the relative movements of the rail and bar, and therebygreatly relieves the rail head insulation from the destructive effectsof these relative movements and load pressures.

It has been noted that the present invention makes provision whereby themetal chafing guard shall have an independent,

longitudinal, and lateral movement with regard to the joint bar. This isaccomplished by leaving the guard free to move on the joint bar head inthe several directions, while at the same time retaining the same alwaysin operative position and protected against displacement. Variousexpedients may be resorted to for this purpose. First,

in this connection, it will be observed byreference to the drawings thatthe inner angle between the web member 8 and the cap flange 9 is fulleror larger than that of the angle of the upper outer corner of the barhead, so that a clearance space 19 may be provided at this point. Thelatter occurs at the outside top portion of the joint bar and allows fora slight lateral play of the chafing guard plate, (including its flange9), and of the joint bar, independently of each other. In addition tothis feature of improvement there is associated with the web member 8 ofthe guard suitable retaining or check means which prevent displacementof the guard from its operative position, and at the same time permitsthe longitudinal movement as well as of the lateral movement with regardto the joint bar. In its primary form, the web member 8 of the guard isprovided in its lower edge with a plurality of keeper notches 10corresponding to the number and position of the joint guard so that itwill have independent, longitudinal, and lateral moveb 10 in effect themetal chafing bolts 3, but sufliciently engage over and receive theexternal insulating washer 6 of the bolt insulation. This constructionadmits of the several independent movements referred to, while at thesame time restraining the guard against an extreme longitudinalmovement. In this form of construction, a supplemental means may e usedto prevent an extreme outward lateral movement, or lateral displacement.simple type of supplemental means for this purpose is shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, and consists of a retaining screw 11 having its headspaced agreater distance from the joint bar than the thickness of theplate web 8 by means of a relatively thick spacing washerl2. The latterelement is disposed within an opening 13 in the plate web 8 so that thelatter is free to move vertically and longitudinally, and alsolaterally, but will be checked from extreme outward movement byengagement with the head of the screw 11.

An equivalent modification of the supplemental retaining or check meansreferred tois shown in Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings. and simplyconsists in the employment of an insulating check washer 14 disposed atthe outer side of the insulating washer 6, and either separate from orintegral with the latter washer. The said insulating check washer 14 isof a greater width than the washer 6 and is also of a greater width thanthe keeper notches 10, so as to overlap the edges of the latter, butstanding free therefrom so as to not interfere with the normalindependent movements of the chafing guard with respect to the jointbar.

nother form of construction that may be advantageously employed is shownin Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, and consists in slitting the webmember or plate 8 segmentally, as at 15, around the bolt receiving holes16, thus producing seating collars against which clamp the insulatingwashers (3 of the bolt insulation. In this way, the chafing guard may beclamped with suflicient firmness to prevent' displacement and yet notinterfere with the independent movements between the flange 9 and thejoint bar head 20. In connection with this modification, it will beobserved that the segmental slits 15 leave the entire guard free tospring or yield under pressures that tend to move the clamp flange andcontiguous portion of the web member vertically, longitudinally, orlaterally.

A still further modification of the invention is suggested in Figs. 8and 9 of the drawings, wherein an intermediate portion .of the webmember .8 is entirely cut away,

large so as to loosely the greater portion of the metal chafing guard,particularly the intermediate portion, is left free to moveindependently of the joint bar. It will be understood that the greaterportion of the independent movements between the chafing guard and thejoint bar is necessarily required at the center portion of the jointwhere the destructive actions are concentrated, and consequently thefree movements at this location are facilitated by locating the tongues18 at the ends of the joint. However, it will be understood that theinvention is not limited to such a disposition of elements as shown inthe modification referred to, as long as the salient features andrequirements of the invention are preserved.

From the foregoing, it is thought that the construction and advantagesof the chafing guard improvement will be recognized without furtherdescription, and it will also be understood that various changes in. theform, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted towithout departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantagesof the invention.

I claim:

1. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, a rail, a jointbar, an outside angle plate having a cap fiange fitting the head of thebar, and insulation between said flange and the rail head.

An insulated rail joint including, in combination, a rail, a joint bar,an angle plate having a web member arranged at the outside of the barand a cap flange overlying the head thereof, and insulation between saidflange and the rail head.

An insulated rail joint including, in combination, a rail, a joint bar,an angle plate engaging over the head of the bar and having a clearancefrom the outside top portion thereof, and insulation between said plateand the rail head.

4. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, a rail, a jointbar, an angle plate engaging over the outside head of the bar and havingindependent lateral and longitudinal movement, and insulation betweensaid plate and the rail head.

5. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, a rail, a jointbar, an angle plate engaging over the outside head of the bar and havingan independent movement, retaining means to prevent displacement of theplate, and insulation between said plate and the rail head.

6. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, a rail, a jointbar, an angle plate having a web member arranged at the outside of thebar and a flange overlying the head of the bar, retaining meanscooperating with the web member to prevent displacement of the plate,and insulation between said plate and the rail head.

7. An insulated rail joint including, in combination, a rail, a jointbar, an angle plate having a web member disposed at the outer side ofthe joint bar and provided with keeper notches loosely engaging over thebolts, said plate also having a cap flange overlying the'head of thebar, retaining means cooperating with the notched portions of the webmember to prevent dis placement of the plate, and insulation between thecap flange and the rail head.

8. A rail joint including, in'combination, a rail, a joint bar, a platefitting the head of the joint bar having a roughened surface on theupper side, and a smooth surface on the lower side to allow relativemovement between the plate and the joint bar.

9. An insulated rail joint including, in combination a rail, a jointbar, a plate fitting the head of the joint bar having a roughenedsurface on the upper side, and a smooth surface on the lower side toallow relative movement between the plate and the joint bar, andinsulation between the said plate and the rail head.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

BENJAMIN WOLHAUPTER.

Witnesses C. A. Disnnow, KATHERINE MCNALLY.

